Knife.



KN IPE..

ArPLIoATxoN FILED Nov. 11, 1907.

CHARLES E. BILLINGS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

KNIFE.

` Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

Application med November 11, 1am. serial No. 401,569.

To all whom it may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BILLINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State .of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Knives, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to a sportmans lfnife which is so constructed that the blade can be incased and protected by the handle when being carried or transported.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap and strong knife of this nature, having the case formed 1n sections which are so connected with the blade that when opened they form a rigid handle, and when closed, one section forms a shield for the cutting edge of the blade, and the other section forms a shield for the back edge of the blade.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a side view of a knife that embodies the invention with the blade inclosed b the case. Fig. 2 shows a side view of the nife with the'blade exposed and the casesections secured together to form the handle. Fig. 3 shows an ed e view of one of the tubular case sections. ii. 4 is a section on enlarged scale of they utt end of the case sections, showing the method of holding them together. Fig. 5 is a section of the other end of the case sections, showing the method of connecting them with the blade.

The blade 1, of the knife which forms the subject of this invention may be formed of any suitable metal to any desired design, and any required size. The tang 2 of the blade is preferably provided with outwardly proj ecting hand guards 3.

Pivoted to the tang of the blade are a pair of tubes 4. Each of these tubes, which may be formed of steel or other metal, at one end has a mortise 5 of a size that will fit the blade tang, and at the other end has a mortise 6 for the catch-that is provided for holding the ends of the tubes together. A slot 7 is milled or otherwise formed along one side of each tube for receiving the ed e of the blade. The tubes are pivoted to t e tang in such manner that when they are swung around and brought together over the blade, as shown 1n Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, one tube will receive the cutting edge of the blade, while the other tube will receiv'e the back of the blade, and r thus inclose and completely protect the blade. Pins 8 are preferably arranged in the tan between the pivoted ends of the tubes so t at when the tubes are o ened from the blade and are brought togeth form the handle as shown in Fig. 2, the pins will extend between the pivoted end of the tubes and hold the blade rigid.

The catch block 9 is hinged in the mortise in the outer end of one of the tubes and has .a spring catch 10 that is arranged to extend over and en age a notch in the mortised outer end of tlie other tube. When the catch is engaged inthe notch, the outer ends of the two tubes are held so that they cannot swing apart. When the tubes which form the case are closed over the blade, the catch is'engaged so as to hold the case parts together, and prevent them from swinging away and exposing the blade. In order to o en the knife for'use, the catch is pulled out rom the notch and the block swung away, leaving the ends of the tubular case sections free. These sections are then swung from the blade until .the ends are brou ht together and a ain fastened by the catc When the ends o the tubular case sections are secured b the catch, the blade is held rigid by means o the pivots that hinge it to the case sections and the pins that extend through the tang between the. pivoted ends of the'sections.

The invention claimed is:

A knife having a handle formed of two circular tubes, each tube having mortised ends and a slot along a portion of one side, a

blade with its tang ivotallyfastened in the mortise at one end o each tube, a catch block hinged in the mortise at the other end of one tube and a s ring catch carried by the block and adapte to enter the mortise in the adjacent end of the other tube and en a e the walls thereof for holding the ends o tigre tubes together, substantiall as s ecied.-

CHARLES BI LINGS.

Witnesses:

WM. B. GREEN, E. H. S'rooxER.

er in order to 

